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Ford Skytta doesn’t announce himself. He just keeps the Hawks moving.
On a night when the goals piled up quickly and hats flew freely, in a 9-2, running-time road victory against overmatched Denfeld earlier this season, Hermantown’s senior captain quietly nabbed four assists, touched nearly every meaningful possession and spent most of game doing the kind of work that never shows up in headlines — unless you know where to look.
“He’s a four-year guy,” Hawks coach Patrick Andrews said of Skytta. “He came up as a freshman and developed into a great human being and a great captain.”
Skytta plays like someone who understands what the Hermantown sweater means in this town. He drives wide, puts his shoulder down, hunts the hard areas and keeps the puck moving north.
Andrews calls him a major part of the Hawks’ “go engine,” and it’s not hyperbole.
“He’s fast, he’s really strong,” Andrews said of Skytta, who is closing in on 100 points scored and a school-record 111 games played in an impressive career. “He’s getting more confident every game. When he cuts to the net and drives through checks, his upside is really high.”
Minnesota Class 1A No. 1- ranked Hermantown (16-4-4) will wrap up regular season play Tuesday night at Grand Rapids (11-12-1). The Section 7A quarterfinals begin Saturday.
Skytta knows the Hawks are young. He also knows where they’re headed.
“We’ve shown we have all the firepower to make a run,” he said of the upcoming Section 7A playoffs. “It’s just up to us to do it.”
He doesn’t dodge the Hibbing-Chisholm conversation. Doesn’t pretend February and March aren’t already circled.
“We expect to see them again,” Skytta said of the defending 7A champion Bluestreaks, and likely in the section final at Amsoil Arena. “And we expect to be ready.”
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Beau Christy looks like a scorer. And, plays like a problem.
The junior power forward has the hands, vision and touch that jump out immediately. What separates him, Andrews says, is where he’s willing to take those skills.
“He’s not afraid to attack the middle of the rink,” said Andrews. “That’s surprising for a junior. That’s what makes kids elite at this level — the willingness to go to hard areas.”
Christy recorded a hat trick in the same game against Denfeld, but the goals only told part of the story. He had the puck constantly, hunted rebounds, created chaos in tight spaces and left defenders choosing between bad options.
“I’ve got to get my teammates the puck,” Christy said. “They can do special things with it.”
That mindset fits Hermantown’s culture — unselfish, demanding, connected.
“We can’t play down to anyone,” Christy said. “We’ve got to keep our level up.”
Christy believes this season isn’t just promising — it’s pivotal.
“I think this is our year,” he said. “This year and next, if we all come back. That’s the goal.”
The confidence isn’t reckless. It’s earned through a tough schedule and a program that rarely loses its way.
“Everybody wants everybody to succeed here,” Christy said. “We’ve all grown up together. That matters.”
Christy’s long-term goal is Division I hockey. His short-term one is simpler — keep attacking the middle, keep raising the bar, and keep Hermantown exactly where it expects to be.
